New Destruction Mode Explained

Hello commander! We hope you are well. Recently, we released the much-awaited [b]Destruction mode[/b], which dropped in [b]WARNO[/b] courtesy of our [url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1611600/view/5939712860487744827]post-SUCHET update[/url]. A bit of a mea culpa. It was brought to our attention that while various of our veterans were happily tearing through the [b]Destruction[/b] mode-enabled [b]WARNO[/b] battlefield, seeing those lovely little points pop up left and right, many players not familiar with [b]Destruction[/b] felt out of their depth. Our apologies! This DevBlog is dedicated to newcomers and veterans alike in explaining what [b]Destruction[/b] mode is, a brief history, and how it is different compared to [b]Conquest[/b] mode. Keep on reading! [b][h2]A Short History of Destruction[/h2][/b] [b]Destruction[/b] mode has been around for a long time. We first created it when we developed [i][b]RUSE[/b][/i]. That was a mighty 12 years ago! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41657262/c4ca95f74ab7116e27659bcfd986fe1fa7935a56.png[/img] Our goal for [i]RUSE[/i] was to create a “pure” strategy game, where neither hardcore micromanagement (think clicks per second) nor forced game rules would prove to be a path to win. As both fans and developers of real-time strategy games, we concluded that a match was typically over when one side had inflicted a critical amount of losses on its opponent. When this happened, it would be almost impossible for the latter to reverse their fortunes on the battlefield. So, we thought, what if we display the losses for each side? Furthermore, what if we showed it as direct feedback on player actions (destroying units)? This would be useful as an information tool AND a special kind of motivation. Those little counters really want to make you… destroy more stuff! When the spiritual ancestor to [b]WARNO[/b] came around, [i]Wargame: European Escalation[/i], not only did we decide to keep the [b]Destruction[/b] game mode, we put it at the heart of our game! Since then, although we moved towards [b]Conquest[/b] as being the default play mode of our subsequent titles, we retained and updated [b]Destruction[/b] mode in all our games. See it as a legacy of a legacy! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41657262/b5ddd9d7d68beab3d0197cb8337e50dc5735afad.jpg[/img] [b][h2]What is Destruction?[/h2][/b] To make things clear: within [b]WARNO[/b], [b]Destruction[/b] and [b]Conquest[/b] modes are not exactly modes, but instead, they are labelled as [i]game rules[/i] in a game’s lobby. We’ll keep referring to them as modes for all intents and purposes. Counterintuitively, [b]Destruction[/b] mode is a game mode where conquering terrain is vital to winning. Indeed, your in-game economy depends on it. Within the mode, each command zone captured [i]increases[/i] your income by a certain sum per second. The income increase revolves around how many and which zones you control. The more command zones you control with a [b]Command Unit[/b], especially the ones that net you a higher income, the more units you can field… and, thus, a player’s ability to apply pressure on the enemy. In other words, controlling real estate on the battlefield brings a definite economic advantage. This will eventually shift the power in favor to the player or team who controls more zones and, therefore, income. So where [b]Destruction[/b] mode control zones give you extra income, in [b]Conquest[/b] mode control zones give you [i]victory points[/i]. [b][h2]A little bit of destruction[/h2][/b] In [b]Destruction[/b] mode, these [i]victory points[/i] are won [b]by destroying units[/b]. Each time you destroy a unit, you earn its deployment price in points. This means the bigger and more expensive units you destroy, the more [i]victory points[/i] you’ll gain. So now we have an interesting gameplay dynamic where the player controlling more zones can deploy more expensive units. Still, if you don’t take care of these units, they might run the chance of being destroyed and giving your opponent more victory points. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41657262/c99bcfb066d8e6694c86b636c60f896451820145.gif[/img] [b]Destruction[/b] mode is about applying overwhelming destruction in a local area to smash as many valuable units as possible while retaining the greatest economy of force for your side. A marked difference between [b]Conquest[/b] and [b]Destruction[/b] mode is that the latter has a different rhythm, often more brutal and intense. When reintroducing the mode to [b]WARNO[/b], we also took the opportunity to make sure [b]Destruction[/b] makes each existing map feel unique. Deployment and reinforcement routes are different, as are command zone locations. As we already mentioned, we are updating more maps to host [b]Destruction[/b] mode. A whole bunch of them are being tested by the [i]Strike Team[/i]. Get ready for some more sneak peeks soon! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41657262/6235f50b61117315c329d107aef265dfeda5b9f8.png[/img] [b][h2]New units coming with the next patch[/h2][/b] So, before we leave you be, some more news: we will feature two new units (with new models) in the next patch. Both units will find their way into the Warsaw Pact’s VDV [b]35th Guards Air Assault Brigade[/b]. [list] [*] [b]1V119 REOSTAT[/b] - an airborne recon radar on a BMD-1 hull. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41657262/c0cf1be26984ba3f3517cff1d66b3e6a9c874f81.png[/img] [list] [*] [b]Mi-8MTV[/b] - a Mi-8 modified based on the Soviet Army’s Afghan War experience, with better protection (ECM and flares) against AA, specifically Stinger MANPADS. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41657262/437aafd2352a365126a7c0dd75c624922992cc8b.gif[/img] The upcoming [b]OUDINOT[/b] milestone is ready to be tested. The major update will soon run the gauntlet of the [i]Strike Team[/i] before its full release. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41657262/b4e53e5fcc242d597161cc91d940bf45987f47cc.png[/img] [b][h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2][/b] That’s it for this week. Don’t forget to check the latest news on the [b][url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/1611600/allnews/]Steam News[/url][/b] page or visit the [b][url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/1611600/discussions/]Steam Forums[/url][/b]. Get together with other players on either the excellent [b][url=https://discord.gg/TEeBArm]Discord server[/url][/b], [b][url=https://www.reddit.com/r/warno/]Reddit page[/url][/b], [b][url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiFqzFcEAzeiu3Msr9G7izw]YouTube[/url][/b] or our [b][url=https://www.instagram.com/eugensystems/]Instagram[/url][/b]. See you on the battlefield, commander! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41657262/1bbc2e7c7e7e7d4d2126252f8d013a6818094908.gif[/img] [previewyoutube=hxIyfz7OJjE;full][/previewyoutube]